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Re: sitting saab Posted by Saana88 [Email]  (#207)  [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Saana88) on Thu, 8 Jun 2006 14:22:08
In Reply to: sitting saab, tc, Wed, 7 Jun 2006 20:25:49 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Yes.
A few things I do:
Put the full pressure (listed on the sidewall) in your tires to combat flat spots. Getting the car off the ground is better, but sometimes you don't have the luxury. This is how new cars are shipped from the factory. It also helps if you can roll the car around once a month or so, if you are nearby and have access to the storage place.
Don't put on the parking brake, as stated earlier. If the car is to be stored outdoors, a coating of rust will form on your brake rotors. Either take the car out and drive it up and down the driveway (probably monthly) and ride the brakes a bit or expect to do it all when you pull the car out for the first time. In extreme cases you may have to replace a pair of rotors here or there, but it's rare.
Open the windows a crack if it's in the shade, but your headliner is going to come down anyway if it hasn't already.
Make sure the carpets and mats are dry.
Check the concentration of coolant in the expansion tank for freeze protection. I recommend (along with Saab) the standard 50/50 because the freezing point is usually depressed enough (-30 or so) and higher concentrations may encourage formation of deposits.
DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. Even with it disconnected, you'll probably need to charge it to get the car going out of storage. Or, if you are able to start and run the car once a month (disconnecting the battery in the interim) you may be able to keep it charged unless you go to take the car out on a very, very cold day.
Be sure the sliding surfaces (pins, pad edges, etc.) on your brakes move freely. Proper lubrication of the pins will keep them from rusting or getting stuck in storage. Also be sure your brake fluid is fairly fresh (clutch fluid same) so it doesn't get too nasty when sitting and take on water and corrode the lines from the inside.
As for my practice with fuel, on your last tank of gas, add some fuel injector cleaner. This will not only help you clean out the injectors when starting back up, but it will remove water from the fuel supply if any (most FI cleaners have a healthy dose of isopropyl alcohol) and act to stabilize the gasoline. I store my cars with very little fuel in the tank so there is less potentially "bad" gasoline to get rid of at the end. This also (somehow) satisfies many fire codes; at the commercial storage place I used one year the owner required me to be below a quarter of a tank. This whole process will put a larger than usual loading of junk into suspension, so I highly recommend changing your fuel filter after the car comes out of storage AFTER all the old fuel is used up. This way, the additive does its job and pulls whatever may be in your tank into suspension, the fuel filter catches it, and then is changed so it won't hamper performance afterward.
For my convertible, I store the foldable top up but not latched so the fabric is not under continual tension.
A good wash and wax before is a good idea. You may need to use a paint cleaner or cleaner wax when the car comes out. I spent an hour and a half (and nearly two coats of professional paint cleaner and wax) after turning my grayish car white again.
Use a winter-weight oil if applicable (5W-30 is fine for my winter storage) and plan to change it when the car comes out. Oil goes bad with age as well as mileage. Yes, the filter too. An extra four bucks is well worth it.
And finally, I recommend a good 45 mile drive immediately before you store the car to give the exhaust a chance to heat up and vaporize any liquid inside it so you don't store the car with a puddle of acid eating away the front pipe from inside. This may happen anyway.
If you do have the opportunity to start and run the car every month or two, start it and let it idle in neutral (circulates the gearbox oil) and then rock the car back and forth if you have room (or up and down the driveway as I said before). The first time you move the car you are going to hear a few clunking noises as the brake pads are broken free from the rotors. Be sure you disconnect the battery when you leave. Not only are you keeping your battery charged, but you are also mitigating a fire risk. If you do have to charge the battery, don't do it in a confined space and don't smoke near it while it charges. Don't try to charge a battery that has gotten so cold that it freezes. If you have the opportunity, work on the car in storage too. I got a lot of things done on my convertible when it was sitting so the 'after' list was a little shorter. I'm getting closer, a year later, to finishing that list.
After you bring the car home again, change the oil and fuel filter and check the air intake and air filter; oftentimes small rodents will nest in there.
, Thu, 8 Jun 2006 14:22:08 <-- Viewing This Message
, Wed, 7 Jun 2006 20:41:42
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